Heirs and Graces
by Lindsi loolabell
Summary: Alternative ending to breaking dawn. The Mormon owns it. This story picks up from the end of the book during the confrontation with the volturi, my interpritation of what could have happened “I’m not about to hurt the darling child, or you for that matter


Alternative ending to Breaking Dawn

Heirs and Graces,

So many thoughts were swimming around in my head as I tried desperately to keep my shield firmly wrapped around all of my family, no more so though than my beautiful daughter and my adoring husband. Both the very reason of my existence in this, abnormal, twisted, immortal life that I had chosen for myself and loved. But the cloud of anaesthetic, radiating from Alec's menacing grip, was coming towards us and was threatening to push my bubble to its limits.

What if there was a break in my new talent? What if my resolve slipped enough for a wisp of that paralyzing gas to penetrate my shield and hurt someone I cared about?

That was NOT an acceptable possibility! I _WOULD NOT_ allow it! My resolve just became stronger with every thought that tried to crush it. My mind just became clearer, and more determined.

I couldn't see how this confrontation would ever be able to end well for us but I was determined to give everything I had to protect what was precious to me. I was aware of the fact that my fate and that of Edward's must already be decided. With the information Alice had secretly passed me, knowing I was the only person to be able to keep it's importance from Edward, so as he could not let it slip to Aro as he probed my husbands mind for answers. I'd hated to lie to him, especially as it meant his baby girl would be taken away from him, and me.

He knew now though, and had recognised its necessity. His need to protect her was just as strong as my own. I wanted her to go, to leave with Jacob and get as far away as possible from here, from this fight, in order to keep her safe. Even if that meant never seeing her glorious little face, dimples and all, again. I would not inflict our fate onto her.

The crushing pain I had felt in my chest just minutes earlier as I'd tried to say goodbye to my daughter, seeing the same pain in Edwards eyes as he gently held her face in his huge hands and whispered 'I love you always' in her ear, was wavering with hope as I'd watched Alice gleefully skip towards us. I blinked a few times out of habit, as if to try to believe it was really her I was seeing. It definitely was. She had reeled off a story of other cases of children born like Renesmee, to the Vulturistic Volturi. Edward had used the term one of a kind and said how it didn't apply to our daughter because there _were _others like her in the world. I couldn't help but feel a snarl rasp in the back of my throat, of course she was one of a kind, if not one of a species. She could definitely NOT be compared to or equal any other being. She was my beautiful angel child that I had agreed to give up hope of having as my need to be with him was greater then than my need to have a family. I never deemed it as being possible to have both.

Alice had brought witnesses to help our cause and I couldn't feel anything but eternally grateful to her for not abandoning us in our hour of need, as she had led us to believe she would. They shared their tales in hope that it would help us. Yet we were nowhere near out of the woods yet. Aro and the others were still stalling. As if trying to find a loop hole to still get the chance to slaughter the Cullen family, my family. And again I felt a fresh wash of power strengthen my little dome of protection. Caius was starting to rant on, something about 'NOT ALLOWING EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE!' He seemed to have a real problem with the idea of my daughter.

And that's when it happened.

There were other footsteps, the swirling smell of more company, more Vampires! Coming in swiftly yet gracefully from the tree's edging the clearing. Was this never going to end?

Everyone on both sides of the shield seemed to freeze where they stood. Silence filled the space between us. The only sounds breaking it was the strong thrum of Jacobs warm heart , the soft fluttering of Renesmee's and our guests from South America, and the fast advancing unknown party coming to join us.

As they came into my view, I notice the fluidly moving female leading the group towards us. She was beautiful, of course she was, and wearing robes of extravagant fabric. She was flanked by other women, ten, my mind still shocked me at the speed at which it could calculate. It was probably her entourage, dressed in long white robes, Grecian in style. The woman heading the group stopped a short way in front of us and waved her hand to stop her party advancing any further. They were obedient and fell in behind her. I caught Edward glancing at me oddly as the women had filled the space in between us and our apparent enemies. She looked towards Aro, Marcus and Caius. I could have sworn I saw Caius angrily look away and thought I'd heard a low growl escape his lips.

"What do you _think _you are _doing_ Caius?" The woman asked almost sounding as frustrated as I was.

She knew him?

"Helenor." Carlisle greeted her as she stood beside him, as if he knew her too, and I thought I saw him dip his head to her as if in respect, yet never looking away from the vultures across the line.

Just then the entire guard dropped to their knees and bowed their heads to her.

"WOAH" I silently mouthed to myself. Edward was suddenly as close to my side as he could get. And I was glad to have him there. He looked at me fully and smiled weakly, hope fleeting through his eyes again. He lowered his lips to my ear and whispered something I never expected to hear.

"That's Helenor, Caius's mate!"

"His........mate?" I breathed

"Yes! That's why he's cursing her right now. They've been together for a few hundred years. They don't share the same views on a lot of things. It's kind of sad." His whisper sent a shiver through my body. Not the bad kind but the 'you've got to be kidding me! We're in the middle of trying to save our ass's and you'd STILL think of _that_ now!' I cursed myself for not having more control of my emotions at times when I needed to be at my strongest.

"Huh!" I stared now at Caius. He looked at Helenor with a look of adoration but annoyance at the same time.

"Well Caius? I'm waiting?" she stood with her arms folded over her chest. "What is you're excuse for behaving in such a manner. The Cullen's are one of the most well respected covens in existence and our two families merger should not have you behaving in such a manner. This poor child has caused no harm, yet you seem to concern yourself with her downfall."

"What is she talking about Edward?" I was starting to get nervous.

"I have no idea! I can't see into her mind, she's outside your shield." I hadn't realised that I had pulled it back to still include Carlisle but carefully avoid these stangers. He grinned again as he marvelled over my newly refined skill and that it appeared I had it under wraps now. "Maybe if you......"

"Not a chance!" I cut him off and an understanding look crossed his face. "Just in case." No way was I risking the fog that still seemed to advance through all the confusion to find a way round. I must be getting better at this still, I wasn't even concentrating very hard. Trying to listen and make sense of the mysterious Helenor and trying to come to terms that she was Caius's mate; he had a mate? I hadn't seen that one coming! Yet the bubble around us still held strong.

"Why are you here Helenor? I thought you were in the south? Visiting." Caius answered through his teeth.

"That wasn't an answer to my question Caius. You are not the man I thought you were if you could honestly hurt a member of our own flesh?" She turned and glanced at me.

Me!

Why?

Then her eye's fell on Renesmee, loaded ready to run on Jacobs's shoulders. His face was just as confused as the rest of us. I'd only just noticed that everyone now seemed to be staring at me. The kind of staring that would have me looking away embarrassed in my old, blushing form. The kind of blush that would have Edward smile his famous crocked smile; the one that made my knee's buckle. The kind that now could clear my head of every other thought currently residing in my conscious mind. There I go again!

I instinctively moved in front of Jake and reached my arms out to my daughter, she didn't hesitate in leaping into them. I held her tight, cradling the back of her head with my hand to my chest, turning slightly backwards as if to keep her out of view. Edward joined me, he stood slightly in front of me but close enough to place a hand on Renesmee's back.

Helenor chuckled softly, not threatening in anyway.

"I'm not about to hurt the darling child, or you for that matter." Her voice sung, as I'd come to expect from our race. She glanced back up at me now with an almost loving expression on her face that confused me further.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but have I........Missed.. Something?" I seemed to put quite the emphasis on the last words. "Do _I_ know you?" Blinking again unnecessarily, I looked from her, to Edward, then back to her again. He'd seemed as bewildered as I was.

"My darling child" She crooned "Yes. You know me. Though you may not remember so well in your new life. Your memories of me will be long forgotten I shouldn't wonder.

Just then a memory did flash weakly in my mind, me as a child. Cradled in this stranger's arms, but she wasn't a stranger, not really. Somewhere out of nowhere I suddenly felt a strange pull towards her, like she was someone of comfort to me. I took an exaggerated step towards her; Edward instinctively adjusted his position to stay at my side, protectively.

"How?.....what?.............You? Why.... do I know you?" My eyes narrowed at my own question and stung at the memory raked up in my mind. Then another. This time I was older, ten, maybe twelve. Crying, again she had her arms around me. Another, this time I was ice skating, I'd got to have been fifteen. That's when I skated in a few local competitions, I hadn't told Edward about my ability to stand firm in ice skates, that meant admitting I could in sorts dance. I guess I could, just not like he did. I even had on one of those ridiculous clingy costumes; it was sparkly, pearl in colour. Even then my skin seemed pale in comparison to the fabric. I was abruptly brought back to the present with the sound of Aro's voice.

"My dear Helenor. How wonderful to see you!" He trilled, clapping his hands together like a child. "You seem to have been gone a life time! I trust you are well?"

"I was very well, until I was informed of your intentions here! Aro, you surprise me, I was under the impression that you cared deeply for Carlisle's family as I thought we all did, then to find that you were planning this monstrous venture......" She shook her head in shame before glaring at her love again. As usual, Caius seemed unperturbed by the turn of events and was still muttering something over 'stupid fool, woman! Should keep out.......business'

Helenor turned to Carlisle and Esme apologetically "Please forgive this charade my good friend I beg of you......"

"YOU DO NOT BEG OF ANYONE WOMAN!" The fury suddenly in Caius's face was apparently on the point of boiling.

Jasper was suddenly visible next to them, I was sure he was trying to calm the proceedings and I was grateful for that. The startling shout from Caius had Renesmee bury herself in my hair and I felt her grip tighten around me in fear. Again I felt the growl in my chest that didn't seem to sound right coming from me. It was a warning and it definitely was meant to escape me this time, as if letting everyone know that I _would_ protect my young.

"Do not raise your voice to me Caius!" She quietly, but strongly, stated back to him. When she spoke again it was in a subtle but menacing melody. "Unless you want to spend the rest of _your _eternitytrying to make amends to me and failing miserably at it! But then misery is all you know these days. Misery and relentless slaughter." She glanced again to Aro who seemed to try to avoid her gaze after her striking attack of words at him. He didn't take well to being talked down to; he almost looked embarrassed. She looked again back to me and the child cradled in my arms, the way my memory had portrayed me in hers. That was all I needed to bring me back to the memories I tried to remember through weak blurring eyes. But she spoke to me again before I had time to think too much.

"I believe you'll have some questions for me child." The warmth in her smile simmered within me. She turned back to her mate and the hunting party. "I suggest you leave this place NOW. Don't return unless you wish to be punished in the same manor as you were about to inflict on my friends and family here today. Alec, for goodness sake stop trying to cripple them, it's over. Leave now. Caius. Go home! And take these demons with you. Your own grandchild! How could you!"

What!

My body froze in an instant, and I felt Edward wrap me and Renesmee tightly in his iron fetter lock. Grand child? How could I possibly? .......Caius?

No. No. NO! My head was screaming in alarm. How could I possibly be linked to that monster? Who wanted to murder my family, I couldn't be.... his family?

She smiled again reading the alarm on my face. This time she walked over and pressed her hand to my cheek. Of course I knew her. My grandmother. But wait. No, the math was off. Way off. The grandmother I had known died when I was fifteen.......Oh! But then how could she have been with Caius for so long. She was right. I wanted answers to the collage of questions I had swarming in my brain, each of them stinging. "Answers...yeah!"

Explanations

The trip home was a complete blur due to the fact that I had just found out I was related to the devil himself, or that's how I saw him. My non faltering shield had snapped shut, trapping me inside my own head, again. A few words had past my ears though on the journey, like Emmett's 'what the.....' He cursed a lot recently. More than I would care for him to with Nessie's innocent ears around. Carlisle's 'I had no idea!' Esme's 'grandchild?'. As usual it was Edward's voice that broke though to me.

"Bella. Bella sweetheart? Are you still in there? This is getting to be a bit of a habit of yours" he whispered, silently chucking. I'd managed to open my eye's at his poor attempt at humour, he was usually so much better at joking than that, so I guessed it was his way of trying to keep his mind from wondering too much over the events of the day; until he was able to find out the answers to the many questions that he had burning inside of him as I did.

I remember the rush of air that nearly knocked me over (or would have if I were still human) as I got out of the suburban. It hit me clean in my face and brought me round a little more. I could finally string a coherent sentence together.

Helenor had joined us. No doubt to fill me in on the pieces of my puzzled life. I couldn't help but feel relief in her company. I owed her my life for helping us save our daughter from the clutches of those masochists, and saving my Edward; for my own life, so we could love for eternity and love our child for the same length of time, now that it was clear she would be fine and live as long as we would. My family would appear to be safe. For now at least.

She'd asked me to take a walk by the river with her. I didn't object; instead I handed Renesmee to her father's waiting arms. He seemed to need the time with her to get over what had nearly come to pass today. We walked silently down over the lawn until I could feel the change in texture of the ground that indicated we were near the water's edge. We sat and stared at each other at first as we perched on one of the boulders there (one of the few left from Emmett's constant craving to try and beat me in an arm wrestling match). I finally managed to squeak, still flawlessly in pitch, the first question that came to mind.

"You died!" Ok so it wasn't a question.

"Yes." She reached out and took my hand.

While I was locked in my mind on the way home, I had time to think more of the woman sat next to me now. I remembered hazily, the love we shared for one another. The many times we'd spent together. How she loved to watch me skate, it brought her so much happiness to see me on the ice, like I belonged there in the cold. Which I now know was true, giving me the feeling of being safe.

"How?" Was all I managed this time as the burn ripped up my throat, not from thirst though. It was the kind of burn you felt when you grieved for someone you loved dearly, the kind that accompanied the huge lump in your throat that made it hard to breath without that person, the feeling I had when Edward had left me. The feeling I had as I'd listened to my mother, tell me that my beloved Grandmother, the woman that watched me so often when mom wanted to go catch an important game of Phil's, the woman I treasured ashamedly slightly more than my mother, had died.

"It was what was best for you at the time honey bear" Her words sliced through me like a hot knife. I couldn't shed any tears anymore but I could feel them in my mind rolling helplessly down my face as my body moved as if they were real. "Your mother decided she'd rather protect you from this life...."

"She knows what you are?" I couldn't take this in. She knew, knows. What did that mean? Wait, that meant that the scary world I'd been trying to protect her from was already a part of her, I would still be able to have her in my life too, she _would_ get to meet her grand daughter after all. I was suddenly aware of Edward, leaning against the back window of the house, still clutching our baby girl; her low breathing an indication that she was already fast asleep. I knew he'd be listening, hoping that some of my questions would mirror his own. "Of course she knows what you are!"

"Yes. She knows. She suspects the same of the Cullen's but she doesn't know for sure. Let me go back and start at a more appropriate part to all this." Her head lowered so she could look at me better.

"You're not the first of our family to fall in love with a vampire. I too found the charms of one particular Vampire so irresistible."

"You so cannot be talking about Caius?" the thought of that creature and charming just didn't fit together at all.

"Yes Caius. He was very charming, of course it was because he was trying to trap me, so he could kill me," She paused at the 'huh' that escaped me involuntarily. I guess she new what she had said would have been significant to me. "He changed the more time we spent together; he seemed more and more reluctant to hurt me. I don't know when he decided he wanted to keep me but I willingly gave myself up to him in any way he wanted of me."

"You mean....." Ew the thought of my grandmother and that thing, risking procreation? There was definitely something wrong with that picture. At least Edward wasn't the same kind of monster as 'he' was. They could never be classified in the same field. Edward was like someone sent from heaven and Caius........ was the epitome of hell!

"Yeah well I'll not go into details; something's should still be private. Anyway, I found out I was heavy with child within the week, growing so fast. Caius was actually happy about it at first. Then when my child started to hurt me, he wasn't so...... accommodating to it. When the child decided it was time to come into our tormented world, I was on the point of death as it started biting.......well you know. I'm sure. Caius decided not to wait any longer and started biting me in various places trying to get the venom starting to flow though my veins before it was too late and before she was completely free of me. He had a few minutes to try and pull the child out of me fully before my body started to react to the poison running through it. She was healthy and strong. I healed well albeit took about a week to wake up. She had just about broken everything she touched on her way out. But I didn't care, she was mine. My angel baby. I had the overwhelming urge to protect her, just as you did your child today. I was very proud of you. I saw the way you looked at her and I know that kind of love."

"She grew up and moved on. I heard she fell in love with a human. And they had a child of their own. Their daughter had a child to a human and so on and so on. Then when your mother was born, her mother didn't want her. The vampire in you all had pretty much become non existent by your mother so it wasn't a concern for her real mother to worry about. But she just didn't bond. I took her and raised her as my own, feeling that same urge to protect her with my life as I had before. Caius wasn't happy now because it meant I lived away from him to keep her safe and he resented your mother for it. I guess that's why he seems to have a problem with you. But don't worry yourself with that, I know how to handle him."

"Then she fell in love with your father and you came along. This perfect little bundle that touched my heart, like no other child before you."

"Why was it needed for you to die?" It didn't quite come out right but she knew what I was getting at. "I needed you and you we're gone."

"I know, your mother decided she didn't want this part of life for you, she just wanted to protect you from anything bad or scary. She worried what it would do to you to find out about a world that only every appeared to exist in myths and legends."

"You stopped dancing on the ice; it made you clumsy you know. I watched you from a distance. The pain was excruciating. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around you whenever you got hurt but for your mothers wishes I had to remain strong. I kind of knew that one day I could be with you once more." She really believed that, you could hear her surety of it.

"I couldn't go back on the ice." I choked. "It was never the same with out you and it hurt too much to remember. How did you now that I'd see you again?"

"It was only a matter of time before you found your place in this world. My dying had another benefit to me that your mother wasn't aware of. I knew Carlisle and his family were here. I knew they had a son still alone. If I wasn't there to watch you when your mother was away, I knew you'd do whatever would make her happy and I knew your father still lived here too. It wouldn't be long before you came here. I was sure that after running into Edward, with all his charm and compassion.... well."

"You knew I'd find him?" I stared in disbelief now.

"No honey, YOU knew you'd find him." Her arm was suddenly around my shoulders "You use to tell us about him. Do you remember that time you skated in the competition just before I died. You were fifteen. After everyone had gone and they'd turned off the lights, you snuck back unto the rink. You went and sat right in the middle of the ice. You hadn't gotten changed so you only had that little pearl dress on. Your mother was frantic looking for you and then we saw you there looking around, oblivious to everything. You mother shouted you and told you hurry up. She said you'd catch your death if you stayed in the cold. Huh? Guess she was right all along. She said you looked like you were waiting for a bus, and you replied......."

"Not a bus mom, I'm waiting for him." The memory was so sharp. So vivid in my head, and I knew now that I _was_ waiting for him, I _was_ waiting for Edward. Other memories flooded my mind now, more vague than the others but I remember dreaming of someone I knew I would meet. I didn't know what he looked like but I knew I would know him when he stood in front of me. Maybe that's why I've never been scared of him, not even that very first day when he could have so easily killed me. I would have accepted that fate too, just as the woman by my side would have if it were the choice her angel had made. I saw it now. Even though they didn't agree, they adored one another. He would give her whatever made her happy, Even if it meant he risked losing her in the process.

We walked back up to the house in silence again as she left me with my thoughts to take in everything she had told me. There was still so much I wanted. No, needed to know but it was late and we had forever. We separated when we got back to the house. She walked over to where Carlisle and the others were sat. The look on their faces let me know they'd heard everything. And that meant Edward had too. He met me before I could get to him.

She'd started to make references to me joining her in Italy to Carlisle, my rightful place by her side. It was the first thing she'd said that stung a bit.

"You'll be with your family where you belong, you're a Debour and we stick together." She glanced at me hopefully but I don't think for one minute that she thought I would go.

"My name isn't Isabella Debour, It's Mrs Edward Cullen, and this IS my family here." I looked around at the faces of the people I loved, all smiling back at my words. The biggest smile sitting on my husbands face. Probably because it was the first time I'd used my old fashioned but formal title, Mrs Edward Cullen. Yep that was definitely me. "You will always have a place in my life if you wish, but only if you can accept that this is my life, here. Edward and my daughter are my life."

"Now that is the one thing I'm certain of, and I wish for nothing else darling."

All I wanted right now was to be with my husband in a way that only he and I could be. "Come on. Let's go home." He was quieter than usual. But I didn't dwell on it. I just wanted to be alone with him again. After all, with the way in which the day had started I didn't think that I would ever have another night to be in his arm, or be able to set our beautiful daughter down in her crib for the night and marvel at her for a while.

"When _did_ Alice tell you about me? That I was coming?" It slipped out before I could think about my question fully.

He hesitated, sighed and then started. "Eighteen years ago.... She told me that I wouldn't be alone for ever, that I would find you; that I would be happy and I would have everything I wanted and more. I didn't believe her though. Never take a bet against Alice huh! I let my guard falter. Then one day there you were and I was unprepared for how I would feel. It disturbed me that this person that she had assured me would be in my life was the one person I wanted to kill the most. Maybe that was my test. To see if deserved the life she had foreseen for me. I guess this means I passed right?" one low solitary chuckle escaped his mouth and his focus was distant. When he spoke again it was to ask a question I knew would be coming. "_You_ knew you would find _me_?"

"Yes. I loved _you_ before I met you." And that was something I was certain of.

Please note that all rights to characters in this story belong to Stephanie Meyers, She is solely responsible for there amazing existence. I give thanks to her for being an inspiration for me to try my hand at writing.


End file.
